Amazon is ramping up ad spending on ElonMusk’s X, according to people familiar with the situation, a major shift after pulling much of its advertising more than a year ago, when many brands had concerns about hate speech on the platform, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy was involved in the decision, which could result in the company spending significantly more on X. Apple, which pulled all of its ad dollars from X in late 2023, in recent weeks had discussions about testing out ads on the platform, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Some large companies that have cut or zeroed out advertising on X are re-evaluating their stances in a challenging political and social climate. Musk, X’s owner, has championed a lighter touch in online content moderation and has emerged as one of the most powerful people in President Trump’s orbit. Business and world leaders have worked to improve relations with him, given his elevated role in Washington.
Ad buyers said that some brands that are returning to X are doing so at spending levels that are still well below their spending before Musk acquired the company, then known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022.
9To5 Mac reported: More than a year has passed since Apple paused advertising on X over brand safety concerns. Soon, however, Apple may begin advertising on X again.
That’s according to the Wall Street Journal, which has published a report on Amazon’s decision to buy in in X and Apple’s talks to reconsider the pause.
The report adds that companies who have already returned to advertising on X are doing so with spend rates much lower than before Elon Musk acquired Twitter and named it X.
Prior to pausing advertising on X, Tim Cook was asked directly by CBS’s John Dickerson about the companies views on the platform.
“It’s something that we ask ourselves. Generally, my view is Twitter’s an important property,” Cook said in that interview. “I like the concept that it’s there for discourse and there as a town square. There’s also some things I don’t like about it.
MacRumors reported: Apple held discussions with X (formerly Twitter) about once again showing ads on the social media site, reports The Wall Street Journal. The talks are said to have taken place in “recent weeks.”
Given that Musk just recently made a hand gesture that was widely interpreted as a Nazi salute at Donald Trump’s inauguration, Apple’s decision to resume purchasing ads on X could be perceived as ill-advised.
In my opinion, it sounds like some major companies are starting to reconsider putting their posts on Elon Musk’s X.